---
title: 'Head of Manufacturing at wardstone.space'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-manufacturing-wardstone-space-el-segundo-gwv1rsn8dzc6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-25'
---

# Head of Manufacturing at wardstone.space

- **Company:** wardstone.space
- **Location:** El Segundo, CA
- **Compensation:** $170k–$200k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-18
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-25
- **Apply:** https://jobs.gem.com/wardstone-space/am9icG9zdDonFz5OYUY2caLnBOl3H69u

## Job description

## Overview

You will build Wardstone’s manufacturing capability, from the prototypes we fly this year to the production line that delivers our interceptors at volume. You’ll own how our hardware gets built: the facility, processes, tooling, quality, and the team that does the work. You’ll report to the CEO. Interceptors are only useful if they can be built reliably, affordably, and in quantity. You’ll work directly with the founders, engineering leads, and the Supply Chain Manager to make sure the vehicle is designed to be manufactured, and that we can build it at the rate and cost our customers need.

## What You’ll Do

Lead manufacturing

- Build and lead the manufacturing team, including hiring technicians and manufacturing engineers as we grow.
- Own the manufacturing strategy, including what we build in-house, what we outsource, and when.
- Set manufacturing priorities with the founders and engineering leads, and make the tradeoffs clear. Support prototype builds
- Keep prototype and test hardware builds moving fast without giving up quality.
- Create build procedures, work instructions, and records that capture what we learn on every build. Plan for production
- Plan and build out the production facility, equipment, and tooling.
- Develop production processes for structures, electronics, final assembly, and test, and plan the path to low-rate and full-rate production.
- Own cost per unit and production rate, and drive both toward our targets.
- Work with engineering on design-for-manufacturing and design-for-test from early in each design. Own quality and safety
- Build a quality system that scales with the company, including inspection, nonconformance handling, and corrective action, with the goal of AS9100 certification.
- Own manufacturing safety, including safe handling and storage of energetic materials in our facility.
- Make sure manufacturing meets customer, contract, and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

- B.S. in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
- 7+ years of manufacturing experience in aerospace, defense, or complex hardware, including at least 5 years in leadership.
- Has scaled a hardware product from prototype to production.
- Experience building and leading manufacturing teams.
- Strong knowledge of quality systems, such as AS9100, and production processes.
- Experience planning facilities, equipment, and tooling.
- Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual). [Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance.]

## Nice to Have

- Experience manufacturing missiles, munitions, rockets, or other flight vehicles.
- Experience with energetics manufacturing or explosives safety programs (e.g., DoD 4145.26).
- Experience with low-rate initial production (LRIP) on defense programs.
- Experience with lean manufacturing, automation, or high-volume production.
- Experience setting up ERP or manufacturing execution systems.
- Prior early-stage startup experience.

## About wardstone.space

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Wardstone builds a modular, low-cost interceptor platform for air and missile defense, designed to counter threats from Group 4 UAS to medium-range ballistic missiles.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage; raised $5M)
- **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2025
- **Founders**: Sebastian Fischer (CEO) and Tobias Fischer

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Aerospace & Defense, Missile Defense, Space-Based Interceptors
- **Target customers**: U.S. Department of Defense (Space Force, Missile Defense Agency, Air Force Research Labs), allied nations
- **Mission or purpose**: To out-produce, out-innovate, and out-perform adversaries by building a modular interceptor platform that can be mass-produced, rapidly adapted, and fielded at the pace of evolving threats.

## Products & Services
- **Hailstorm (Ground-Based Interceptor)**: A right-sized, modular surface-based interceptor demonstrated in the Mojave (Mach 2.5, 40,000 ft). Uses a large particle cloud (1 km diameter) to kinetically neutralize hypersonic and ballistic missiles, reducing cost and sensing requirements.
- **Space-Based Interceptor Constellation**: Satellites equipped with kinetic interceptors designed to counter hypersonic and ballistic missiles from orbit. Part of the “Golden Dome” concept.
- **Modular Platform Architecture**: Interchangeable components allow mission-specific configuration, rapid upgrades, and parallel production across multiple suppliers.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — $5M seed round (raised from Nova Threshold, Liquid 2 Ventures, Bow Capital, B5 Capital, Allegis Capital)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Y Combinator (fall 2025 cohort), relationships with AFWERX, Space Systems Command, Air Force Research Labs, Navy Joint Special Operations Command
- **Growth Signals**: Accepted into Y Combinator; first prototype (Hailstorm-Ground) successfully flown; letters of support for a $3M SBIR grant; inbound requests for additional use cases; hiring multiple engineering roles.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Modularity**: Standardized, interchangeable components decouple production from single bottlenecks, enabling surge manufacturing and supply chain resilience.
- **Cost advantage**: Interceptors are designed to be “right-sized” to the threat, drastically reducing per-unit cost compared to traditional “exquisite” interceptors (e.g., THAAD, GMD).
- **Unique kill mechanism**: Large particle cloud increases probability of intercept without requiring precise hit-to-kill, reducing sensor and actuator costs.
- **Incremental path**: Starting with ground-based interceptors before scaling to space-based systems, allowing technology maturation and customer validation.

## Strategic Focus
- Near-term: Deliver ground-based interceptors to fill the “missing middle” threat band (Group 4 UAS to MRBMs) and secure SBIR/IRAD contracts.
- Medium-term: Deploy space-based interceptors as part of the U.S. “Golden Dome” missile defense architecture.
- Continuous improvement: Open architecture to integrate new technologies without redesigning the entire platform.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Direct impact on national security and countering hypersonic threats.
- **Early-stage startup**: Opportunity to shape the company’s technology and culture from the ground up.
- **Engineering focus**: Roles span mechanical, electrical, avionics, propulsion, GNC, simulation, and sensing.
- **Compensation & equity**: Competitive salaries ($100k–$160k for engineers) plus equity grants.
- **Location**: El Segundo, CA — a growing aerospace startup hub near LA Air Force Base and Space Force facilities.
- **Work environment**: Likely on-site/hybrid (El Segundo office); YC alumni culture with fast iteration and hands-on testing (e.g., Mojave flight tests).

## Sources
1. [wardstone.space](https://wardstone.space/)
2. [wardstone.space/careers](https://wardstone.space/careers)
3. [wardstone.space/ourstory](https://wardstone.space/ourstory)
4. [spacenews.com](https://spacenews.com/startup-bets-on-new-approach-to-space-based-missile-defense/)
5. [ycombinator.com](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/wardstone)

## Other roles at wardstone.space

- [Technical Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-recruiter-wardstone-space-el-segundo-weysaczpdk42) — El Segundo, CA
- [Avionics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-engineer-wardstone-space-el-segundo-hjfd9cjytfsy) — El Segundo, CA
- [MBA Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/mba-intern-wardstone-space-el-segundo-wk15p8cdft3h) — El Segundo, CA
- [Supply Chain Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-chain-manager-wardstone-space-el-segundo-mvxgw8kaqgbk) — El Segundo, CA
- [Operations and Logistics Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/operations-and-logistics-associate-wardstone-space-el-segundo-cmpqg5jyxv5j) — El Segundo, CA
- [Mechanical Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-technician-wardstone-space-el-segundo-z5daq08jrxsw) — El Segundo, CA
- [Avionics Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-technician-wardstone-space-el-segundo-vcwqpsgege8z) — El Segundo, CA
- [Technical Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-wardstone-space-el-segundo-qada746w7n4e) — El Segundo, CA
- [Propulsion Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/propulsion-engineer-wardstone-space-el-segundo-52f0qfp1273z) — El Segundo, CA
- [Senior Aerodynamics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-aerodynamics-engineer-wardstone-space-el-segundo-7ra1j3qjsywx) — El Segundo, CA